Winnipeg's new football stadium is finally underway and appears to be worth the wait.
"This is going to be a world-class stadium. It will blow a lot of North American stadiums out of the water," said Mike Clynes, team project manager with Stuart Olson Dominion, which is overseeing construction of Winnipeg's latest mega project.
Construction costs for the stadium, which has an inflatable roof, are projected at around $5,900 per seat, which Clynes said is lower than other stadiums built in North America over the past few years.
After years of wrangling between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and three levels of government, the team's new 33,000-seat stadium is starting to take shape on the University of Manitoba (U of M) campus. The construction zone is a sea of workers and machinery and will remain that way until the $190 million project is completed next spring.
The focus is on making sure CFL fans experience good concessions, good seats and access to a reasonable number of washrooms.
But the stadium will also sport some technological features that will make the team's current home seem prehistoric by comparison. Fans will be able to watch highlights and order food and beverages to their seats on their smartphones. They will also be able to use e-tickets to gain entry to the stadium, just like they do when travelling by airplane.
from Western Investor October 2011
